Australian authorities eye expanded beef exports to Indonesia

Australian authorities eye an opportunity to expand exports of Australia's breeder cattle to Indonesia as the Indonesian government provides financial support to its eastern provinces to increase the size of the Indonesia's domestic beef herd.

The Northern Territory Minister for Primary Industry, Willem Westra van Holthe, told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation on Monday Indonesia's East Kalimantan provincial government's plan to import 11,000 head of Australian breeder cattle is part of a much larger picture for Indonesia.

"The 11,000 head is the front-line, pioneering project for East Kalimantan. It's the first province to pick up on this and do something concrete on getting animals imported," Westra van Holthe said.

Indonesia intends to increase the size of its domestic cattle heard to become self-sufficient in beef.

"They've got an aspirational goal of importing two million head of breeding cattle coming into their country by 2018," Westra van Holthe said. "That's a stated goal from the Indonesian Government."

Westra van Holthe says the two million head of cattle is going to be difficult to achieve, however he believes Australia's cattle producers can meet the challenge.

"I believe the sky is the limit with breeding cattle coming out of northern Australia to Indonesia Westra van Holthe. "Of course, at the end of the day, it all comes down to commercial reality and making sure the prices are right." Endi